A Lifelong Democrat Switches To McCain

I believe all these details can be worked out. This is one of the main reasons I am supporting Obama. He is much more likely to bring both the democrats and the republicans together to solve this, along with other problems we face here after the past 7 years of the Bush administration.

 

I think that Senator Obama would win at least 53% of the popular vote in November, and we haven't had a presidential candidate win at least that percentage since 1988.

 

Achieve universal health insurance, but leave the doctors and nurses to practice privately.

 

So fewer people become doctors. The long hours and expense of extended education; the heavy responsibility of having someone's life in your hands, only to be sued at some point for malpractice, just won't be worth the trouble.

The months people wait for treatment in Great Britain and Canada will extend even longer.

You have a really great idea.

 

I'm surprised other nations have any doctors at all! :BangHead:

 

They are continually in short supply. Any guesses why?

 

Before looking at other nations we need to understand that these United States are in short supply of general practitioners/family doctors in our current system:

www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/2007/11/primary_care_physician_shortage/

 

And you think universal health care will help solve that problem?

 

Do you think continuing with the present system will solve the problem?

I am amazed how Republicans and some conservatives refuse to consider that problems need to be addressed in these United States and seem to think that we should just be satisfied with the status quo.

 

Considering that there are problems that need to be solved is a given.

My question to you was, do you believe universal health care will solve the problem of doctor shortages?

You avoided answering. Wanna take another shot at it?

 

I am willing to consider the possibility.

 

Get back to me when you have the nerve to answer the question.

A simple yes or no will suffice.

 

I'll butt in...

I think it will help the doctor shortage more than the present system will.

 

Thank you.

How?

 

Thanks, Stefan. That's what I like to see in these threads. Now please explain why you think it will be better with universal coverage. To quote Ross Perot, "I'm all ears."

 

The present system rewards specialties that pay well (plastics, cardio, etc.) in locations with well-insured populations.

It's hard to get doctors to go to rural, economically depressed areas. It's hard to get doctors to go to urban areas. Why? They won't make any money. Some don't want to live in these locations, true, but even if a person were willing, with 200k worth of medical school debt, it's difficult to be a GP in a poor area full of uninsured people.

If we had universal health care, the money wouldn't be any different in these locations.

Also, if we were willing to invest more, we could make medical school more affordable in order to allow doctors to choose the less glamorous specialties. The free market will never do this because the free market will tend toward the more profitable ones.

Additionally, we have students clamoring to get into medical school in America. That won't stop. Not all of these potential students are going to say, "150k? FORGET IT! I'll go teach HS science!" Even if the average salary takes a hit, the doctors aren't going to be in the poor house. Besides, if you go to Europe, you won't find doctors living out of their cars, I assure you. Doctors will still be well-compensated.

 

Sounds simple.

But it hasn't worked for Great Britain, Australia, Canada, or Germany.

The only way they've been able to even remotely have enough doctors is by hiring doctors trained in third world countries and hoping they were educated and trained well enough to not kill off the population.

Canada is an exception. All foreign trained doctors have to meet standards to practice in Canada. Few can do so. The result is a very chronic life threatening shortage of doctors in Canada.

And you think we can do it when others can't? You're dreaming. Demanding more for less rarely sustains itself.

I'm glad I'll be dead before I have to have a translator to talk to my doctor as I pay 70% of my income in taxes...all for universal health care.

 

Would you feel so confident about being able to buy insurance if you were pastoring a small church in a poor area and they paid you $5,000 a year. That was my brothers situation. Oh, and he gave half his pay back to the church to help keep it afloat. Just another welfare drain on your taxes.

 

Excellent points, Stefan. Well done. :thumbs:

 

The cost of doing business for doctors is still going to be high as ever which creates so many other issues. And so long as the libs protect the trial lawyers and their little playground of frivolous law suits they will remain that way.